Current News Surrounding the Office of Inspector General Community

Archives

Palm Beach County’s first inspector general says she is so crippled by court rulings, budget restraints and push-back from the county and many of its cities that she can’t do the corruption-fighting job that voters envisioned for the 3-year-old post. The roadblocks have left Inspector General Sheryl Steckler with half her budget, half a staff and no legal standing to defend her office in court. The most recent blow was a series of court rulings in a lawsuit filed by…

West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio, under investigation by the county’s Office of Inspector General, made a preemptive strike today by announcing the investigation herself before it became public. Muoio said she is not legally allowed to disclose the nature of the investigation until it is completed. Inspector General Sheryl Steckler also said she could not comment. Sources told The Palm Beach Post that the investigation centers around Muoio appointing board members in 2011 to the city’s Affordable Housing Advisory…

Palm Beach County’s government watchdog faces an online popularity test that could factor into whether she gets to keep her job. Inspector General Sheryl Steckler’s four-year contract ends in 2014 and by the end of this year she is supposed to get notice about whether the county plans to make a change. To help make that decision, a committee of county officials that reviews Steckler’s work has called for posting an online survey to gather public comment about her job…

As the city tries to find an internal auditor, Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell came up with a potential solution on Monday — pay Palm Beach County’s Office of Inspector General the $500,000 year budgeted to West Palm’s internal audit department. But both a city commissioner and the Inspector General found the idea ironic, considering that West Palm Beach is one of 14 cities suing over required payments for Inspector General services. “We can’t talk to the Inspector General about anything because…

Palm Beach County's government corruption watchdog is about to get a new report card that will help determine whether she keeps her job. Supporters credit Inspector General Sheryl Steckler's oversight since 2010 with helping change the image of corruption-plagued Palm Beach County. But critics question the broad scope and rising cost of her investigative reach. A legal challenge filed by a coalition of local cities has threatened Steckler's funding. Both opponents and backers are being invited to chime in on…

Palm Beach County's public corruption watchdog has called for convening a grand jury to help cut through potential interference from some of the local governments she investigates. Inspector General Sheryl Steckler has asked the State Attorney's Office for a grand jury to review policies imposed by Palm Beach County government as well as the cities of Boca Raton and Delray Beach; policies that Steckler maintains get in the way of her oversight duties. Specifically, Steckler contends that county and city…

The Palm Beach Post released an article regarding the county's first Inspector General. Currently she is the IG of the Florida Department of Children & Families. When being asked about how she is going to serve the county and help change its image of corruption: "It's about transparency," she told the panel. "The more you give them, the more you show them, the more you can prove that you really are here to help. ... Independence is really about someone…